Pneumatic action for musical instruments.



R. G. BENSON. PNEUMATIQ ACTION FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. APPLICATION FILED NOV. I7. 1910. RENEWED JUNE 22,1916.

Patented Aug. 7, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET R. G. BENSON. PNEUMATIC ACTION FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 17. 1910. RENEWED JUNE 22, 1916.

- Patented Aug. 7,1911

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

R. G. BENSON.

PNEUMATIC ACTION FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. n. 910. RENEWED JUNE 22. 1916.

1,235,760. Patented Aug. 7,1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET a.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RALPH G. BENSSN, OF GHIGAGO, ILLINOIS, AEiSIGNOR. TO THE CABLE COMPANY, OF CEICAGO, ILLINOIS, A OGRPGRATION OF ILLINOIS.

PNEUMATIC ACTION FOR MUSI AL INSTRUMENTS.

Application filed November I To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, RALPH G. BENSON, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic Actions for Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to muscial instruments which may be mechanically actuated and automatically or otherwise controlled in actuation and it especially concerns the construction, arrangement and connection of an action to be used therefor, the principal objects being to provide a compactly arranged structure wherein the parts are so disposed and detachably secured in position as to facilitate access thereto and detachment or removal thereof and to embody the more delicate parts in detachable units to facilitate exchange or transportation thereof.

Figure l is a vertical sectional View of the upper portion of piano, showing the note-sounding piano action and a pneumatic action embodying my invention in operative connection therewith.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary front view, upon the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, of my improved pneumatic action, illustrating the method preferably employed in detachably securing and clamping the principal divisions in position.

3 is a vertical sectional view, upon the line 33 of Fig. 2, of a hollow support or header, illustrating the means prefe "ably employed in detachably securing the principal divisions in position thereupon and of detachably securing the support in position to permit pneumatic communication of each division with a wind-inducing a p p ara tus.

Fig. i is a sectional view, upon the line of Fig. 2, of a tie or clamp which I employ in connection with the principal divisions in obtaining rigidity.

Fig. is an enlarged plan of an individual power-pneumatic and the controlling valve-action associated therewith, showing the separate constituent units in correct position.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view, upon the line G6 of Fig. 5.

A, B and C indicate removable parts of the piano case. I) indicates the key-bed, E, the keys, F, the strings, G, the hammers and Specification of Letters Patent.

17, 1910, Serial No. 592,844.

Patented A11 7, 1917.

Renewed June 22, 1916. Serial No. 105,299.

H, the piano action supporting frame. All of these parts are well-known and are not included in my invention.

I prefer to place the pneumatic action above keys E and immediately in front of the piano-action-stickers l and to support and connect it in a manner that will not interfere with manual playing of the instru ment.

The usual means may be employed for automatically controlling the operation of the pneumatic action, comprising a traveling perforated music-sheet 2 and a tracker 3 across which the music-sheet is propelled in any desired manner to accomplish alternate opening and closing of selected trackerapertures which constitute inlets for the wellknown tracker-tubes 4:.

Stickers 1 may be arranged in the usual or any desired manner for reciprocal movement through manipulation of keys E to cause operation of hammers G. Any desired means may be employed in connection with my pneumatic action to permit pneumatic operation of hammers G. I have shown an arrangement of adjustable devices for this purpose upon the front face of stickers 1, comprising a projection 5 upon each sticker, a cushioned head 6, and a threaded stem 7 for adjustably securing the head to the projection.

I prefer to place the wind-inducing apparatus, which may be of any preferred construction, below key-bed I) and adjacent to piano-strings F. I have indicated a portion of an apparatus of this character at 10 which communicates through a conduit 11 with a passage 12 through keybed D. Pref erably, a passage 12 and a conduit 11 are arranged in communication with the windinducing apparatus at or near each end of the key-bed.

Gpposite ends of the pneumatic action are similarly supported and secured and a description of the construction at one end thereof will suffice. Post 13 is hollow and is secured in air-tight connection with passage 12 by means of bolt 1%, anchor-block 15 and plate 16. Block 15 is firmly secured upon the upper side of the key-bed and is anertured to provide pneumatic communication between passage 12 and post 13. Plate 16 is secured within the aperture in the block and is so positioned, perforated, or otherwise arranged as not to interfere with free air passage. Bolt 1% is passed endwise through the post into threaded engagement with plate 16. Post 13 may thus be placed upon block 15 and clamped in position and air-tight comiection through tightening of the belt or the bolt may be unscrewed from the plate and the post removed together with any attachments thereto.

Hollow bars 17 17 extend completely across the piano over the keys and are individually secured near each end upon the front side of a post 13 by means of screws 18. The contacting sides of the bars and posts are respectively provided with registering apertures and 21, so that the interior of each bar 17 when secured in position, becomes an individual air-chamber 17 in which the air-pressure may be varied by the wind-inducing apparatus 10 through post 13, passage 12 and conduit 11.

I obtain a rigid frame-work by providing the front sides of the posts with transverse channels or recesses 19 19, each for the reception of the intersecting portion of the rear side of a bar 17 and provide against twisting of the bars by means of ties or clamps which may be arranged at con venient locations between the posts. (Figs. 2 and 4E). Apertures 21 21 in post 13 are within recesses 19 19 and the back of each recess is preferably provided with suitable packing material which surrounds the aperture and against which the intersecting portion of the rear side of a bar may be clamped by a screw 18 to hold apertures 20 and 21 in airtight registration and the bar firmly in position upon the post. I prefer to pass each screw 18 through the front of a bar, a chamber 17 and a pair of apertures 20 and 21, threading the same into the rear side of post 13. Packing material may be placed beneath the heads of the screws. I have shown a clamp consisting of two plates 22 and 23 which extend across and are drawn firmly down upon opposite sides of the several bars by means of screws 24:. One plate may be grooved or recessed (Fig. 4.-) upon its inner side to embrace that portion of the" sides of the several bars across which it Vextends and thus prevent displacement of the clamp through vibration.

Each bar 17 is shown in this instance as trapezoidal in cross-section and presents one flat forward side which is apertured at intervals at 27, each aperture being associated with a single pneumatic valve-andmotor mechanism. As all of these mechanisms are of similar construction, a description of one will suiiice. A valve-casing 25 is formed with one outward flat side which is apertured at 26 and 36 and provided with a flange for the accommodation of screws or equivalent means for removably securing the casing in position with the flat side tightly clamped against the forward side of a bar 17 and the lower aperture 26 of the casing in registration with an aperture 27 of the bar. Suitable packing material. such as leather may be applied to the entire fiat side of the casing to surround both apertures 26 and 36 therein. Casing 25 is provided at its opposite inner edges with annular recesses 28 and 29 and comprises two concentric chambers 30 and 31 which are separated by a partition 32 centrally apertured at 33. Chamber 30 is inclosed by outer wall 34 which is in the form of a plate fitted tightly within annular recess 28 and centrally v apertured at 35. Aperture 26 opens into chamber 31 and aperture 36 opens into chamber 30. Within casing 25 is a valve comprising a stem 37 which carries an adjustable head 38 and a flexibly-attached disk 39. The stem extends through ports 33 and and is guided at its outer end by a guide 10 which is riveted or otherwise secured upon the'outside of wall 3-1. Stem 37 is threaded at its inner end to provide adjustment for head 38. For alternately closing ports 33 and 35, I prefer to employ the opposite surfaces of the single valve-disk 39, which I provide with leather or other suitable packing material. The lower inner edge of casing 25 is internally threaded about recess 29 and chamber 31 is closed by flexible diaphragm tLwhich is composed of a circular piece of reasonably impervious membrane such as thin leather or rubber-coated silk and preferably secured to a packing-ring 4:2 and provided upon one 7 surface, at or about its central part, with a disk 13 of card-board or other stiff material. The diaphragm-and-ring combination is of such diameter that it may nicely fit within recess 29 and be clamped against the shoulder thereof to seal chamber 31 and position its card-board disk close to, and directly in alinement with valve stem 37. A flanged cup at is provided with radiallyextending tubes 15 and 46 and its flanged rim is of approximately the same outside diameter as diaphragm ll for placement within recess 29 to act as a washer between packing-ring L2 and a screw-ring 47 which is threaded about its outer edge so that it may be screwed within the recess to clamp cup, packing-ring and diaphragm firmly within the recess and against the shoulder thereof, thereby forming a chamber as be tween each diaphragm and cup. Tube -15 extends forwardly and is upwardly bent at a point beyond the casing for connection with one of the usual tracker-tubes 4.

Below each aperture 27 in bars 17 17, I

insert a small nipple-tube 49 and, when casing 25 is in position, tube l6 of cup 14 is directly in alinement with tube 4:9 and may be connected thereto by a short flexible pipe 50. The outer end of tube L6 may be contracted to provide the usual small opening or =ve11t"- for: purposes to be described. Chamber 30 1s connectedwith a powerpneuma-ticvi'8 through aperture 36 and a conduit 9. Powerpneumatic 8 extends beneath its-associated valve-casing 25 and supporting bar 17 and is preferably secured in such position by conduit-'9 which extends across and over the respective bar to meet and be remo-va-bly secured in air-tight communicatronwvrth casing 25; The forward end of =condu=it-9 is flush with the flat forward side of bar 17 and is provided with a flange for the reception of the threaded end of screws which are passed through-the flange of the iflat side of casing 25 to secure the conduit in air-tightcommunication with aperture 36 of the casing." The opposite end of the conduit isalso provided with a flange and is firmly secured thereby to power-pneumatic 8. I

have showna-parallelarrangement of the conduit with the upper surface of the bar whereby I may provide support for the conduit at the rear edge of the bar, preferably employing a felt or corkstrip for this purrests directly beneath one of the adjustable cushioned heads 6, whereby collapse of pneumatic 8 will movelug 51 to contact with head 6 and raise sticker 1.

This pneumatic action is arranged to be operated by suction-or air-pressure less than atmospheric pressure but slight modifications may be made by those skilled in the art,without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention, by which the action may be arrangedfor operation by air-pres sure greater than atmospheric pressure.

Operation of wind-inducing apparatus 10 will reduce the air-pressure in all of chambers 31 through apertures 26 and 27, airchambers17,-apertures and 21, hollow posts 13, passages 12 and conduits 11. hen all of the apertures in tracker 3 are sealed by an imperforate part of music-sheet 2, the same reduction in air-pressure will take place in each of the-tracker-tubes 4 through tubes 45, chambers 48, tubes 16, pipes 50 and tubes 49. -Under such'conditions, diaphragms 41 of all the valve-casings will rest betweentwo approximately equal cle- -grees of reduced air-pressure; atmospheric pressure will hold valve-disks 39 closed over ports 33 and extend through ports 35, apertures .36 and conduits-9 to the interior of power-pneumatics 8. -When a tracker aperture is uncovered by a perforation in the musicsheet, atmospheric pressure will be admitted to the corresponding tracker-tube a, tube 45 and chamber 18 and, as it cannot pass through the restricted passage in the contracted end of tube 46 as fast as it is admitted through the open tracker-aperture,

diaphragm 41 is forced against stem 37 and moves valve-disk 39 from port 33 to close port 35, thereby interrupting atmospheric .commimication with powerspneumatic S and establlshmg commumcation of the reduced air-pressure in chamber 31 therew 1th, through aperture 36 and conduit 9. The resulting collapse ofpower-pneumatic S raises sticker -1 and sounds the note represented by the open .trackersaperture. A normal restoration of all the parts is occasioned by resealing the respective tracker-aperture by an imperforate portion of music-sheet 2. The collapse and recovery of the power-pneumatic is thus alternately accomplished through the opening and closing of the con trolling tracker-aperture.

-I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a pneumatic action for a musical instrument, a pneumatic action frame com prising a first hollow member provided with a groove, a second hollow member having an end and a side for supporting pneumatic action devices, the interiors of the first and second members communicating with each other, and means passing through the second member detachably securing a portion of the side thereof within the groove in the first member of said frame.

2. In a pneumatic action for a musical instrument, a pneumatic action frame-comprising a -hollow post provided with a groove, a hollow bar having an end and a side for supporting pneumatic action devices, the interiors of said post and said bar communicating with each other, and means passing through said bar detachably securing a portion of the side thereof within the groove in said post.

3. In a pneumatic action for a musical instrument, a pneumatic act-ion frame comprising a first hollow member having a side and an aperture in the side, a second hollow member having an end and a side and an aperture in the side for supporting pneumatic action devices, and means passing through the second member and through the apertures in the first and second members detachably securing the side of the second member to the side of the first member and the apertures in the first and second members in registration.

4. In a pneumatic action for a musical instrument, a pneumatic action frame co1nprising a hollow post having a side and an aperturein the side, a hollow bar having an end and a side and an aperture in the side for supporting pneumatic action devices, and means passing through said bar and through the apertures in said post and said bar detachably securing the side of said bar to the side of said post and the apertures in said post andsaid'bar in registration.

5. In a pneumatic action for a musical instrument, a pneumatic action frame comprising a first hollow member provided with a groove and an aperture, the aperture being located in the wall of the member at the bottom of the groove, a second hollow member having an end and a side and an aperture in the side for supporting pneumatic action devices, and means passing through the second member and through the apertures in the first and second members detachably securing a portion of the side of the second member within the groove in the first member and the apertures in the first and second members in registration.

6. In a pneumatic action for a musical instrument, a pneumatic action frame comprising a hollow post provided with a groove and an aperture, the aperture being located in the wall of said post at the bottom of the groove, a hollow bar having an end and a side and an aperture in the side for supporting pneumatic action devices, and means passing through said bar and through the apertures in said post and said bar detachably securing a portion of the side of said bar within the groove in said post and the apertures in said post and said bar in registration.

7 In a pneumatic action for a musical instrument, an air-chamber having a side and a top, a valve-casing at the side of said chamber and communicating therewith, a power-pneumatic below said chamber, and means extending over said chamber connected with said casing and said pneumatic.

8. In a pneumatic action for a musical instrument, an air-chamber having a side and a top, a valve-casing at the side of said chamber and communicating therewith, a power-pneumatic below said chamber, and a conduit extending across said chamber connected with said casing and said pneumatic.

9. In a pneumatic action for a musical instrument, an air-chamber having a side and a top, a valve-casing in communication with said chamber and secured upon one side thereof, a power-pneumatic below said chamber, and a conduit extending across said chamber connected with said casing and said pneumatic.

10. In a pneumatic action for a musical instrument, an air-chamber having a side and an aperture in the side, a valve-casing having two adjacently-arranged apertures in the wall thereof, a conduit positioned with an open end above the chamber-aperture, and means removably securing said casing to said chamber with one of the two casing-apertures in registration with the chamber-aperture and the other of the two casing-apertures in registration with the open end of said conduit.

11. In a pneumatic action for a musical instrument, an air-chamber having a side and an aperture in the side, a valve-casing having two apertures in the wall thereof, a separably-removable conduit positioned with an open end adjacent to the chamberaperture, and means removably securing said casing to said chamber and to said conduit with one of the two casing-apertures in registration with the chamber-aperture and the other of the two casing-apertures in registration with the adjacent open end of said conduit.

12. In a pneumatic action for a musical instrument, an air-chamber having a side and an aperture in the side, a valve-casing having an aperture in the wall thereof, means removably securing said casing to said chamber with the apertures in registration, and a tubular connection between said casing and chamber comprising a de tachable pipe.

13. In a pneumatic action for a musical instrument, an air-chamber, a valve-casing removably secured to said chamber, the interiors of said chamber and said casing communicating with each other, a valve and a valve-operating device within said casing, tubes supported by said casing for controlling said valve-operating device, one of said tubes having a restriction in the passage therethrough, and means connecting the tube having the restricted passage with said chamber. 7

14. In a pneumatic action for a musical instrument, a conduit having an open end, an air-chamber having a first and a second aperture therein, a casing having a first and a second aperture therein, a tubular connection in said casing, and means securing said casing to said conduit and to said chamber with the first casing-aperture in registration with the open end of said conduit, the second casingaperture in registration with the first chamber-aperture and said tubular connection in communication with the second chamber-aperture.

15. The combination of a wind chamber, a valve casing located at one side of the wind chamber, a pneumatic located underneath the wind chamber, and a tubular member extending from the valve casing over the top of the wind chamber and down the side opposite the valve casing to said pneumatic.

16. The combination of a wind chamber, a valve casing located at one side of the wind chamber, a pneumatic underneath the wind chamber and a tubular member having one end connected with the valve casing at one side of the wind chamber and the other end connected with the pneumatic at the other side of the wind chamber.

17. The combination of a wind chamber, a valve casing at one side of the wind chamber, a tubular member connected with said valve casing and extending over the top of the wind chamber and thence downwardly, and a pneumatic located below the wind chamber and connected to and supported by the lower end or said tubular member.

18. The combination of a wind chamber, a valve casing at one side of the wind chamber, a tubular member connected with said valve casing and extending over the top of the wind chamber and thence downwardly, and a pneumatic located below the wind chamber and connected to and supported by the lower end of said tubular member, the por tion of said tubular member passing over said wind chamber being supported thereby.

19. The combination with a wind chamber, of a valve casing located at one side of the wind chamber, a pneumatic below the wind chamber and means for supporting the pneumatic, said means being connected to the valve casing and extending across the top of the wind chamber and thence downwardly to the pneumatic.

20. The combination with a wind chamber, of a pneumatic located below the wind chamber, and means for supporting said pneumatic, said means being secured at one side of the wind chamber and extending thence across the top of the wind chamber, resting upon the same and extending thence downwardly to the pneumatic.

21. The combination with the wind chamber, of a valve casing detachably secured to one side of the wind chamber, a tubular member detachably connected to the valve casing and extending across the wind chamber to the other side thereof, and a. pneumatic located below the wind chamber and detachably connected with the other end of said tubular member.

2 The combination with the wind chamber, of a valve casing detachably secured to one side of the wind chamber, a tubular member detachably connected to the valve casing and extending across the wind chamber to the other side thereof, a pneumatic located below the wind chamber and detachably connected with the other end of chamber to the other side thereof, and a pneiunatic secured to the other end oi said tubular member.

24. The combination of a wind chamber, a valve casing located at one side of the wind chamber, one side of the wind chamber and the adjacent side of the valve casing being provided with registering apertures forming a passage between the interiors of the wind chamber and valve casing, the valve casing also having a second aperture located above the first named aperture and in the same side or" said casing, and a tubular member having one end connected to the valve casing and in communication with said second mentioned valve casing aperture.

25. The combination of a wind chamber, a valve casing located at one side of the wind chamber, one side of the wind chamber and the adjacent side of the valve casing being provided with registering apertures forming a passage between the interiors of the wind chamber and valve casing, the valve casing also having a second aperture located above the first named aperture and in the same side of said casing, and a tubular member connected to the valve casing and having its end in communication with said second mentioned valve casing aperture, said tubular member extending across the top of the wind chamber.

26. The combination of a wind chamber, a valve casing located at one side of the wind chamber, one side of the wind chamber and the adjacent side of the valve casing being provided with registering apertures forming a passage between the interiors of the wind chamber and valve casing, the valve casing also having a second aperture located above the first named aperture and in the same side of said casing, and a tubular member connect-ed to the valve casing and having its end in communication with said second mentioned valve casing aperture, said tubular member extending across the top of the wind chamber, and a pneumatic connected with the other end of said tubular member at the side of said wind chamber opposite said casing.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 28th day of October, 1910, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

RALPH G. BENSON.

Witnesses:

E. H. BAUMANN, J. C. WARREN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

